Delhi Dallying: Thanksgiving in Kasauli

Friendly cow at a market in Kasauli

For Thanksgiving, we traveled to Kasauli, a quiet mountain retreat and our first trip outside of Delhi. Most fellow foreigners had never heard of this place. After a 4 hour train ride in 1st class A/C, we were met by a car arranged by our hotel. Following an hour car ride up a curvy mountain road dotted with small structures on the side of the road selling Dhaba (food) and "daily needs" - we arrived at our mountainside hotel, Kasauli Resort.

The resort was quaint, had a delicious restaurant, and peaceful views of the valley and surrounding mountains (when the fog briefly lifted each day). The highlights of our trip include: walking 2 km into the town of Kasauli and following a group of cows being herded up the mountain road, going through the markets (NOT being yelled at to buy thing like in Delhi), walking along narrow cobblestone streets through the village and smiling at passing villagers.

On our trip, we learned that Indians love taking photos OF foreigners and especially WITH foreigners. The first day it was a novel idea... Indian: Can I click a photo with (of) you? Tim or Karen: (nod) Sure... (smile). The second day we went to Manki Point - the highest point in Kasauli and the location of Hanuman's Temple. We were surrounded by Indian high schoolers from a nearby region ALL asking to take photos with us.

The town of Kasauli seems to be a place where Indians have their summer mountain homes. They are also very eco-friendly and posted humorous signs everywhere - some of which we "clicked photos" of. Kasauli is one of the few Indian towns with a stiff penalty for littering.

Overall, it was nice to be away from the hustle, bustle, and hustlers of Delhi - and we successfully navigated our first Indian railway experience!